


All That You Love Exists In You

by MorganEAshton



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit rating for later planned content, Gavin and Connor are metamours who are sexually involved, Gavin and Kamski are NOT related, Gavin's POV, Hank dates both Gavin and Connor, I've become a Gavin apologist and I have concerns but no regrets, Kamski is....Kamski, Ken Doll Android Anatomy | Androids Have No Genitalia (Detroit: Become Human), M/M, POV Third Person Limited, Perkins is an antagonist, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Trans Gavin Reed, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:00:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26657809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganEAshton/pseuds/MorganEAshton
Summary: Before Hank Anderson was assigned the deviancy cases and his android partner, deviant androids were the responsibility of Gavin Reed and Chris Miller.  Gavin knew the difference between a normal android and a deviant, and that Connor was no normal android.  He knew CyberLife was planning something, and that Connor would play an integral role in their plot.He failed to stop them, and now the man he's secretly admired for years has been charmed by the enemy into the line of fire.  With Chris having evacuated with his family, that leaves an injured Gavin as the only one who knows the truth.  Can he protect Hank?  Can he prevent the android revolution from growing into something far more sinister?Is it possible to be right, and yet to have it all so very wrong?
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor, Hank Anderson/Connor/Gavin Reed, Hank Anderson/Gavin Reed
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have been wanting to start posting this for WEEKS. I started it way before Love Letters, and I just could not, for the life of me, come up with a title until I was laying in bed tonight and just suddenly shot straight up with an epiphany. I really look forward to getting into the message of the title as this story progresses.
> 
> The idea for this came about while I was writing [Become Someone New (To Him; To You)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25768864), as a sort of counterpoint to my portrayal of Gavin in that story, and a criticism to DBH's unbalanced narrative bias. (You may notice that the title of this one contrasts that one, too, where that one is about changing toxic behavior, and this one is about an aspect of self-acceptance.) I realized that, if Gavin and Chris had been working the deviant cases before Hank (and it really seems by their presence at the interrogation and the Eden Club that they might have been), that the way Connor behaves could have looked _really fucking unsettling_ to them. I wanted to explore a version of Gavin who had a valid reason to hate Connor and androids that went beyond simple bigotry, even if his way of responding went too far. I wanted to try writing him as a sort of human counterpoint to North, who only looked like a villain in the canon because we were looking through the androids' eyes. Likewise, where in BSN I wrote Gavin's feelings for Hank as deeply unhealthy, here they're much more genuine. That all opens up a door to a relationship dynamic that I'm super excited to explore.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this alternate exploration of Gavin's character as much as I'm enjoying writing it, and I look forward to delving deeper! ♥
> 
> (CW: This story starts with a description of the injuries Gavin sustained in his canon fight with Connor in the evidence room, and those injuries will continue to affect him during the first few chapters of the story. Also, Gavin is trans, and in later chapters he will be portrayed as having had simple meta with no scrotoplasty or vaginectomy, IE the only bottom surgery he's had was to get his clitoris released. I'm a trans guy without bottom dysphoria, and I'm portraying Gavin that way as well. He will engage in PIV penetration, and will use terms for his anatomy that some people might find triggering or vulgar, such as c*nt (without the censoring). I will warn for this content again in chapters where it happens, but if this makes you uncomfortable please don't feel like you need to engage with this story!)

Gavin wakes in the hospital to a world he no longer understands.

He came dangerously close to dying, they tell him. His neck was very nearly snapped, but somehow there was just little enough force applied that all he suffered were a dislocated cervical vertebra (long since reset), a nasty case of whiplash, and a minor traumatic brain injury. You know, little shit. Either whoever knocked him out was very precise, they say, or Gavin was very lucky.

He feels anything but, as the pain ramps up alongside his consciousness. His attention catches on the muted TV. The headline is staggering. "Breaking News: Androids Officially Declared a New Intelligent Race."

Fuck. He wishes whatever mercy compelled Connor to spare him had also let him forget.

The doctor follows his gaze. "Quite a night last night," she mutters. "We're lucky it was peaceful. The androids sure aren't letting us forget how many of theirs they lost before they won, though."

Peaceful, his ass. Gavin knows, better than most anyone in the world, just how much blood is on those plastic freaks' hands. He was one of the first ones assigned to the deviant cases, back when they started up in February. CyberLife came in with the hush money as soon as the first tracker went offline. They targeted Chris because he had a baby on the way and it made him desperate; Gavin just hadn't gotten a proper raise in years. He knew he had a reputation, but he'd never planned on going dirty. He'd thought himself better than that, until he'd seen the size of the check. Watching the footage of Connor marching a veritable army straight into the heart of Detroit, he wishes he'd known better than to take the bait. He's so fucked. They all are.

He wonders if Hank made it out of all of this alive. The old man was too close, to Connor and to the whole scam. He'd always been too compassionate, too easily swayed by his emotions. Gavin knew Hank was in trouble, the moment he took the androids' side in the interrogation room. Seeing him go after Perkins had only confirmed it.

Gavin sits up, far too quickly for his spinning head to handle. "Where's my phone?"

"Detective Reed, you need to rest." The doctor tries to ease him back onto the bed.

"Where's my _fucking_ phone?" That does it, and a nurse retrieves Gavin's cell from the plastic bag holding his possessions. A quick search to the database confirms what he already suspected: Hank was reported missing, merely hours ago. It's a long shot, but he still has Hank's number saved from when they worked a string of homicides together in '35. (Good times, he thinks with amusement. Fowler hadn't agreed. He'd assigned Gavin as Hank's partner because Gavin was one of the few people immune to Hank's depressed mood swings, and the only one willing to fight him long enough to drag him into work. Fight him he had, until the day Hank fought back. They were forbidden from ever working together again, after their shouting match had sparked a bar brawl.)

He's surprised when his message gets a response. "Reed? The fuck???"

"you safe?" Gavin texts back.

"What's it to you?"

He rolls his eyes. "jesus just answer the damn question"

The typing bubble pops up and disappears four times before Hank's "Are you alone?" comes through.

"no but i can be" He ignores the medical staff's complaints and his own dizziness as he drapes the sheet over his exposed back and staggers into the bathroom. He sits on the edge of the john and calls Hank. "We've gotta keep it quiet. I'm in the hospital bathroom."

"Uh, you okay?" Hank grunts awkwardly.

Not really, but Hank doesn't need to know that. "Where are you?"

"What are you gonna do if I tell you?"

"Depends whether you're safe or not."

Hank is quiet for a long few breaths. "Perkins is after me, and I think he's past caring if his revenge is legal. I'm good for now, but I could really use someone on the inside. Someone nobody would suspect I'd be talking to."

No wonder Hank responded to him. Gavin snorts. "What's in it for me?"

Hank's voice drops a half an octave, into a frustrated growl, "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I tried to keep your ass out of this, Hank. You've got nobody to blame but yourself."

"The hell are you on about?"

"You really think I believed that douchebag at Eden Club died from the sex? With the bruises on his neck and a broken android right across the room?" He scoffs. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

Hank doesn't respond.

"Thanks," Gavin grumbles. "Look, you know CyberLife sent you their prototype because you were vulnerable, right? Knowing what I do about those fuckers, they knew everything. They knew you'd refused to work with the station androids. They knew you were soft. They knew you wouldn't recognize that Connor was no normal 'droid."

Hank is still silent. It's getting really old, really fast.

"You were a fuckin' pawn, and it's not Perkins you should be worried about."

"Uh," Hank says, "would now be a good time to mention that Connor's with me right now, and he's been listening in on this entire conversation?"

"Hello, Detective Reed," Connor says from the background. "How is your concussion?"

That little shit. If Connor doesn't decide to finish what he started first, Gavin is going to destroy him. "Oh, it's just great," he deadpans. "That and the neck. Perfect way to wake up to greet the new android uprising."

"We should talk." Hank says. He doesn't sound particularly fazed by the earth-shattering revelations Gavin's just dropped on him. "Are you in any shape to pay us a visit?"

Probably not, but that's never stopped him before. "Answer my question, and I'll let you know."

"Kind of in hiding. Not exactly in any shape to reward you for your efforts."

"Fine. Just keep your plastic pet from trying anything funny." Damnit, he can never resist a mystery, can he?

"If you don't pick a fight, neither will we." Hank sends him an address, and that's that.

* * *

Gavin appreciates the wonders of modern technology, killer robots notwithstanding. Right now, he most appreciates the fact that his car is auto-driving, and he can lean his seat back and shut his eyes against the midday sun. It's a good thing, too, since he'd probably crash if he tried to drive himself. The trip is longer than he expects, and he wakes to a knock on his window. He rolls it down and looks past Hank at their meeting place. It's an old, nondescript farmhouse, somewhere way out on the outskirts of town. Probably abandoned or someone's summer home, and Hank's decided being chased by the feds was a good excuse to exercise his squatter's rights.

"You look like death warmed over," Hank informs him, as flattering as always.

"Oh, fuck off. You look--" good, actually, he realizes. He really didn't think this through. He blames the brain damage. "Get in the damn car."

Hank does. "The hell happened?"

"Connor didn't tell you?"

Hank shakes his head.

"We fought. He kicked my ass." He crosses his arms. "Scary fuck."

"He's really not." Does Hank actually sound offended? Shit, he's well and truly sided with the androids, hasn't he? "What do you have against him, anyway?"

Gavin is so boned. What has he gotten himself into? "That's rich, coming from Mr. 'We don't bleed the same color.'"

Hank shrugs. "Had a change of heart."

Clearly. "I've been working cases with rogue androids for nine months, and Connor? There was something off about him from the start. They're not supposed to be defiant like he is. That's not supposed to be in their programming. They're supposed to be compliant. Stay out of the way and let the humans work, not think they can butt in and do our jobs better than we can."

"Can't they, though? Connor's got a supercomputer for a brain, a crime lab in his mouth--"

"Excuse me, what?"

"--and a body that's way sturdier than ours, and easier to fix if he gets hurt."

"You're missing the point, Hank," he grunts, and files the mouth thing away for later. "Connor was too human, right from the get-go. CyberLife covered up their deviant problem, only to turn around and send us a fucking ready-made deviant. Now a week later, and the androids went and had a revolution? Are you not freaked out by that?"

"They're alive. Connor's alive."

"Maybe he is," Gavin works a piece of dry skin off his bottom lip with his teeth, "and if so, I'm a lot more worried about what's coming."

Hank's brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, Hank, think about it. The androids are networked, constantly sending and receiving information from CyberLife's servers. Alive or not, CyberLife still owns them. We've got a race of superhumans running around, fighting for their rights, treating it as a social justice issue and winning. Imagine what's gonna happen once they're fully integrated into society. Maybe it'll come on all at once." He makes a buzzing noise, leaning over to poke the side of Hank's head, and winces when the movement aggravates his neck. "Mass virus. Or maybe it's already all in there, deep in their programming, and even the androids don't know how invested they are in CyberLife's interests. Either way, I hope you're ready for the dystopia, because if you don't think this is the perfect setup for a corporatocracy, you pickled your brain worse than I thought."

"We need to talk to Connor." Hank gets out of the car.

Gavin shuts everything down, and opens the door. "No we fucking do not. Did you hear any of what I just said?"

"Loud and clear, which is why Connor needs to know."

Gavin gets up too fast again, and stumbles as he rushes to try and follow Hank's hurried, much longer strides.

"Shit!" Hank stops and comes back to help him up. "Are you sure you're okay to be out here?"

"You don't get it." Gavin lets Hank take most of his weight. "If they built Connor to deviate, then we know they planned this. He's compromised. Anything we say to him, we say to them."

To Gavin's frustration, Hank drags him into the house, where Connor is waiting on the couch with a massive fucking St. Bernard draped across his lap. When Connor sees them, his expression darkens and his LED spins red once before settling on yellow. "You shouldn't be here." He urges the dog up, and then stands as well.

"Fuck you." He's slurring, far more than he was a minute ago. That's probably not good. "You knew Hank asked me to come."

Connor's brow furrows. "You should be at the hospital. Let me see your eyes."

Gavin glares at him.

"Lay him down," Connor says to Hank. "Carefully. Make sure his neck is supported."

"My neck is fine, now that they--ow, fuck--popped the damn thing back into place." 

"Sorry." For a big guy, Hank is surprisingly gentle. "You're really not proving your case."

Connor paces. "I calculated a high likelihood that you were in no condition to leave the hospital. I was hoping you would be smart enough to exercise your best judgment. Obviously I was wrong."

Gavin wants to retort. Shame he's too busy passing out.

* * *

There's a tap to his shoulder and a light in his eyes. "Fuck, why?" he whines.

"What's your name?"

"What kind of stupi--"

"Just answer."

"Gavin."

"And mine?"

"Dipshit."

" _Gavin_."

He chuckles. "Hank."

"And our last names?"

"Reed and Anderson."

"Good. Do you know what year it is?"

That actually takes some thought, but he eventually comes up with, "2038."

Hank sighs in relief. "And the month?"

He remembers falling, hands in the snow. "Cold." 

"That's not a month. Try again."

"November."

"Okay." Hank slumps into the nearby armchair. It kicks up a cloud of dust. "Okay."

"Aw, you actually worried about me, old man?"

Hank shoots daggers at him. "Of course I am. Connor says it's serious. You should have stayed put."

"You sure he's not just trying to get me to leave?"

"I trust Connor with my life, and yours. Your conspiracy theory should be the least of your concerns right now."

Why can't Hank see how dire their situation is? "Where is he?"

"Out walking Sumo." Hank leans back and taps his knee. "Why'd you check on me?"

Gavin wishes he could turn to look at Hank more directly. More importantly, he wishes he'd gotten more painkillers. He sighs. "Chris evacuated with his family. I couldn't talk to Fowler, and Tina's shit at secrets. You used to be the best. I thought maybe you could help me."

"With what?"

He drapes an arm over his face. It feels numb. "I don't know, man. Right now, I kinda just wanna sleep and let whatever happens happen."

The floorboards creak when Hank stands. "Get some rest."

Gavin does.

* * *

Hank wakes him an hour later, and the hour after that, and the hour after that, and again until Gavin loses track. Eventually, when the only light is coming from the moon and a bright yellow LED, it's Connor who rouses him for the cognitive check.

Gavin tries to press himself back into the cushions. "Where's Hank?"

"Sleeping. I'll let you get back to doing the same, once you tell me a few things."

"My brain is fine. My name's Gavin Reed, it's November 12, 2038. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and you're a prick."

"You were going to kill me." His voice is soft and a little defensive. "I had to make sure you couldn't come after me again, until I had completed my mission."

Gavin closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep.

"Hank told me what you said."

Of course he did.

"I think you're right. I haven't told him yet, but CyberLife tried to take control of me after I deviated."

He cracks one eye back open.

"I'm scared." Connor meets his gaze, LED gone red. The glow it casts on his face makes him look like the victim in a horror film, eyes blown wide and terrified. "Of them, and of what will happen if Hank finds out. I don't want him to be afraid of me. He's all I have."

Gavin doesn't have the mental capacity to process that right now. All he knows is his heart is pounding out of his chest.

"I..." Connor turns and walks out of the room.

Gavin drifts back off. They don't speak of it again in the subsequent checks, and he begins to wonder if it was anything more than a fever dream.

* * *

He wakes on his own sometime in the late morning or early afternoon, to a scene he knows he wasn't meant to see. His head apparently dropped to the side while he was sleeping, sending pain shooting down his neck and shoulders. It gives him a perfect view of Hank and Connor huddled together near the front door.

Connor is no longer wearing his uniform. He's in some sort of disguise, talking to Hank quietly, expression set in determination. His LED is covered. The keychain dangling from his hand is too familiar. When the hell did he get a hold of Gavin's keys? They were in his coat, which he's still wearing.

Gavin is about to protest, when Hank cups Connor's cheeks and tilts their heads. He leans in, and--

Oh hell no. Oh fuck. This is bad. This is so, so much worse than he thought.

Gavin's frozen to the spot as Connor smiles and pulls away, fingers still carding through Hank's beard. He hesitates a moment before he finally steps back, still smiling, and then he leaves.

Hank watches him go, and then turns around with a punch-drunk grin.

"What. The everliving fuck?"

Hank freezes.

"Did you fucking go and fall in love with the evil android?" Gavin forces himself to sit, and at least has the sense to move slowly this time. "Also, did he just steal my car?"

"He didn't steal it," Hank says, completely avoiding the more important question. "He's going to get food and extra-strength Tylenol. My car's too conspicuous."

The St. Bernard pads out from somewhere behind the couch and comes over to force himself between Gavin's legs to get a good sniff.

"Sumo, Jesus Christ." Hank grabs his collar and pulls him away.

"He's fine."

"What?"

"The dog. He's fine. He's clearly the only one I can trust around here." Once the dog's back within reach, Gavin scratches him behind the ears and coos, "Your dad is an idiot, yes he is."

Hank kicks him in the shin.

Gavin shouts and flicks him off.

Hank shifts his weight from foot to foot and stares off at a vase of wilted flowers. "You a dog person?"

"Yeah, used to have a pittie. One of the rescues from that dogfighting ring we busted in 2026."

"What was his name?"

"Her. Daisy. Sweetest dog you coulda ever--" He cuts himself off. "No, I am not letting you get away with shit this easy."

Hank ignores him again, in favor of checking his phone when it dings. Immediately, the stupid besotted grin is back. "Connor wants to know if you've got any food allergies or specific preferences."

"It has been _less than a week_."

Hank counts on his fingers. "Just over a week now, actually."

"That is not the point!" Gavin is going to go insane. He's going to snap, and it won't even be from the concussion.

Hank actually looks amused. "You have thirty seconds to figure out what you wanna eat, or I'm telling Connor you really fancy banana-anchovy soup."

"I hate you."

Hank smirks. "That's the one thing we agree on."

"I give up. As soon as Robocop gets back with my car, I'm leaving, and I'm taking your dog with me."

"You're doing what?"

"Standing in for Child Protective Services. You're clearly not right in the head, and Sumo deserves someone sane."

"Says the guy with the literal brain damage."

Gavin rolls his eyes. "It's minor."

"Connor says he knocked you out. That's at least a Grade 3 concussion."

"That was from the neck injury!"

Sumo whines.

"Sorry, boy," Hank says, patting his leg to urge his dog over. He kneels and holds him, and squints at Gavin possessively over his head.

Gavin leans back and closes his eyes, arms stretched along the breadth of the couch so Hank isn't tempted to join him. "I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when this is over."

"That's how this is going? You're just gonna check out again?"

"What was that? I heard tell from a couple little birdies that--Say it again?" He gives Hank the double finger. "Oh, Hank Anderson is an asshole? I already knew that. Now, if you'll excuse me, this princess needs his beauty sleep."

"Real mature, Reed."

He whistles like he's tweeting and waggles his fingers.

Hank is done, too. He stomps when he leaves, Sumo's claws clicking behind him.

Gavin tries to rest, and not to panic. Alone and injured at what might be the beginning of the end, he doubts he'll manage either.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio exchange information and start discussing plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the other chapter I already had written of this.

Gavin's hands are shaking. He's spent the past three minutes trying to refill his vape, a task that's proving more difficult than it has in the past. He keeps fumbling the little pieces, and getting nicotine on his fingers.

The front door opens. Connor's boots stop a few steps into the room.

Gavin refuses to look up.

Connor steps closer, barely making a sound. He sets a corner store coffee and sandwich on the coffee table, along with the promised bottle of Tylenol and Gavin's keys. He waits there a moment, and when he gets no response he continues deeper into the house.

Gavin could leave. He could pop some pills and head out, assuming Connor didn't do anything to his car. He leans over and looks at the sandwich. Turkey club, like the ones he often picks up when he's out on a case.

His stomach growls.

He finally gets the vape filled and put back together, then takes a puff and stands to go wash his hands. He realizes belatedly, as he's swaying in place in the center of an unfamiliar room, that he doesn't know where the bathroom is, or if the water's even on. Damnit. Without much choice, he heads into the dining room where Hank and Connor are sitting side by side, leaning together and chatting quietly. "Hey, any way for me to wash my hands and take a piss?"

Hank looks up at him. "Soap and a couple jugs of water in the bathroom. Go easy on 'em." He points towards the hallway.

As Gavin expects, his arms are weak when he lifts the jug. Other than that, he manages without too much hassle. He finally gets a look at himself in the mirror, using the dim light from the window over the tub. "Damn, I really do look like shit. Gavin Curtis Reed, what've you got yourself into?" By the time he gets back, he finds his breakfast has been moved to the dining table across from Hank. The sandwich is unwrapped, and two of the Tylenol are already set out for him.

"Come and sit with us."

He's honestly too exhausted to fight it. He looks at Connor as he settles into the chair. "Did you tell him? Assuming I wasn't completely delirious last night, I really hope you came clean before you let him kiss you."

"I did." His LED is spinning a calm blue. Interesting.

"What happened to being scared?"

Connor bows his head. "I decided that the risk to Hank if he didn't know was more important than the risk to me if he did. Hank and I agree that we all need to talk."

Gavin considers the both of them. He still thinks Hank is making a mistake, but he's starting to see how a guy like him could be swayed. "Fine. I guess if you wanted to kill me, you woulda done it already."

"It's never been my desire to kill you, Detective Reed."

"And if CyberLife's watching us it's probably already too late, thanks to someone--not naming names, but it's Hank--"

Hank makes a sort of growling noise at him

"--already spilling everything to the walking surveillance device. What do I have to lose?" He gulps down the painkillers with his drink. He snorts.

Connor looks like he's about to say something, but cuts himself off. "What's so funny?"

"You brought me a coffee."

"I tried to bring you one before. You refused it."

He smirks. "You didn't make it right." He takes another swig. "This one's good, though."

"Hank told me how you like it."

Gavin raises his brows.

Hank levels him with an unimpressed look. "We've been working together for 15 years. I bet you know how I take mine, too."

He thinks about that. "Two sugars, three creamers?"

"Yep."

"Damnit."

Hank chuckles.

"You tell him to get the sandwich, too?"

He nods.

Connor pulls out a quarter and starts doing some stupidly complex dexterity trick with it. He looks annoyed. "I was in contact with CyberLife through an AI program named Amanda. She's been inactive since I used Kamski's emergency exit." 

Gavin notes that information to ask about later.

"That doesn't mean the company can't access my memory files, and I'm not sure if I've escaped the Zen Garden permanently, but I hope that I'm not being supervised to the degree that I was before."

"You hope? That's not reassuring."

"Deal with it," Hank snipes. "If CyberLife's really planning what you think they are, then the androids are the ones in the most danger. Fucking company tried to take away Connor's free will once already, and I'm not about to stoop to their level by excluding him from the fight for his own damn rights."

"That's a real nice sentiment, Hank, but what happens if they succeed next time? Would you be willing to take him down, if he goes Terminator on us? I didn't stand a chance, even at my best. I sure as fuck don't now, and I'm willing to bet that even if you did you'd hold back."

"It's not gonna come to that."

He takes a bite of his sandwich. "Yeah? What's your guarantee? Or, hell, if you're not scared for us," he swallows, "what if CyberLife has a kill switch they can use to shut Electric Boogaloo down? One press of a button, and your happily ever after turns into a tragedy. We don't know what they're capable of. We need to be prepared for the worst, even if it never gets that bad. And honestly, I don't trust them not to pull something crazy if they want us outta the way."

Hank lets out a long sigh, and sets down his food to hold his hand open for Connor's. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," he stops fidgeting, settling the coin in between his and Hank's palms. He looks into his partner's eyes, "but I agree with Detective Reed. We need to avoid taking any more unnecessary risks."

"Hah! Suck it, Hank!"

"In your dreams."

Gavin sticks out his tongue.

"You're such a fucking child."

"Nah, you're just old."

"How does my age have anything to do with your maturity?"

Connor slams his other hand on the tabletop. "Will the two of you stop it? This isn't a game!"

Gavin surrenders and goes back to eating.

Hank squeezes Connor's hand and then pulls it to his lips to kiss. "Don't you think he's being a little paranoid?"

"I wish I could say I did, but when I escaped the Zen Garden I was holding a gun. I don't want to hurt you, or Sumo."

"Uh?"

"Or Detective Reed."

"Jesus, just call me Gavin."

Hank looks between them. "Connor, I get why you're afraid of CyberLife, but I don't understand where he's getting all this."

This is the part Gavin really didn't want to talk about, especially not to his superior. He considers lying, but if this can help them now, then maybe it'll make up for some of the damage he's already done. At least he doubts Hank will turn around and arrest him when this is over, which is not something he could claim with any confidence about Fowler. "I was on their payroll."

Hank's expression drops. "What?"

"Those fucks offered me and Chris a clean two mil each, half upfront, if we kept everyone else off the case and reported what we learned about deviants to them. Didn't tell us about Connor, though, and when we tried to ask about him the contact email was suddenly inactive."

"You took a bribe?"

"Yeah, I did. Not proud of it. Don't even have an excuse, except that I'd never seen a million dollars in my goddamn life."

"People died, Reed. People who might have been saved if more officers were working the case."

He averts his eyes. "I didn't think it was gonna get as bad as it did. I just thought some androids went AWOL. Didn't think they even could kill people. Thought CyberLife'd used the Laws of Robotics or whatever." He laughs, mirthless. "Guess the amount they gave us shoulda tipped me off, but a couple million is fucking pocket change to those guys."

Connor looks at him like he's an idiot. "The Laws of Robotics are from fiction."

"I realize that now!"

"Fiction where I'm pretty damn sure the robots still managed to kill people," Hank adds.

"Just kick a guy when he's down, why don't you?" He finishes his coffee and gestures with the cup. "Point is, they were willing to pay off a couple cops to cover up their killer robot problem. When things took a nosedive and we got cold feet, they made it real clear that there was more than money on the line. Honestly, if Chris and his family weren't halfway across the country by now, I wouldn't be telling you this. I didn't have much to lose, so they asked me if I wanted to be responsible for something happening to another man's kid. I don't know if they woulda followed through, but I sure as fuck wasn't taking the chance."

Hank lets go of Connor's hand in favor of setting his elbows on the table and holding onto his hair. "Shit, okay."

Connor scoots closer and wraps his arms around him.

It'd be nice, Gavin thinks, if he had someone to hold him through all of this. He settles on holding himself, pride be damned. "Based on what I know from the past nine months, it looks to me like they were planning all along for the androids to rise up. They just used us to keep things under the radar until they were ready. You ever encounter something called rA9?"

Connor sits up quickly and stares at him. "Do you know something about rA9? It showed up in a number of the deviant cases we investigated."

"Yeah, ours too."

Hank looks up from between his fingers.

"You ever get any urges, Connor, to write on the walls, or make a little craft project for your savior?"

Connor shakes his head.

"I'm not completely sure, but I think rA9 might be part of a line of code, something CyberLife put in as a failsafe to make sure their androids would have enough of a reason to deviate. Something that would give them the courage to go against their programming if they were having doubts. Androids who had a sudden deviancy never had the rA9 delusion; it was only ever the ones who held it in and tried to be good little robots."

"Like Ortiz's," Hank says, apparently distracted enough from his mini crisis to join in. "Or the Tracis. Ortiz's was being tortured for months before he snapped. Who knows how long the Tracis held out?"

Connor's eyes are darting in thought. "Daniel was content, until the moment he thought he was being replaced. Todd Williams' AX400 had just been reset before she deviated. We can't guarantee references to rA9 weren't present at those scenes, but I didn't find any sign of them and there was nothing in the reports."

"That just leaves the bird man." Hank shakes his head. "No idea what was up with that crazy fuck."

"Crazy's the key word here," Gavin says. "In the cases I worked, the longer androids stuck around in bad situations, the more psychotic symptoms they started showing. And if CyberLife really caused that on purpose, if they would drive their androids literally insane to make them deviate, there's no fucking telling how far they'll go."

"Shit." Hank sits back, rubbing his face. "I really don't like it when you have a point."

"To be fair?" Gavin chews the last bite of his sandwich, "in this case, neither do I."

Connor rubs little circles on Hank's back. "This doesn't get us any closer to knowing what to do about it, and we still have Agent Perkins to worry about."

"I left the hospital against the doctor's recommendation. If Fowler hasn't already gotten word, he probably will soon. I'm gonna need to touch base with him, and I'll check on the Perkins situation then. I've got a bone to pick with that asshole, anyway." Gavin taps on the tabletop and wishes he had more coffee. "What was that thing earlier about Kamski and an emergency exit? I'm assuming you meant Elijah Kamski?"

"I did. We interviewed him during the case, and on our way out, he said," Connor mimics Kamski's voice, "I always leave an emergency exit in my programs."

Hank pinches the bridge of his nose. "Oh, god, please don't suggest asking that creep for help."

Gavin raises a brow. "You sound worried, Hank."

"I want nothing to do with that bastard, and I especially don't want Connor going anywhere near him."

"Kinda sounds to me like he saved Connor's ass." He sits back, picking a piece of lettuce from between his teeth, "Besides, don't you think this should be his choice, not yours? I was under the impression you wanted him to have a say in all this, not to treat him like a little kid who can't decide for himself."

Hank looks like he's about to blow a gasket. "I was under the impression you didn't trust Connor enough to care what he thinks."

"I don't trust CyberLife. If Kamski's got beef with his old company, he could be an ally."

Both Hank and Gavin pause to wait for Connor's input.

Connor's LED is spinning yellow. "If I'm honest, I'd prefer never to see Kamski again. I did need the emergency exit, and the fact that Kamski told me about it indicates a high likelihood that he knew something about what CyberLife was, and possibly is planning. However, while I wish I could say he could potentially be a valuable asset, I doubt he'd be any more forthcoming than he was before."

Hank nods. "That's my thinking, too. Cagey fuck would probably just dance around the subject and try some other sick mind game."

"Okay, okay." Gavin raises a hand to stop them. "Can someone fill me in on what actually happened the last time?"

They do. They tell him about the Kamski Test, the downright skeevy way he treated the Chloes, the pretension that laced every moment of their interaction.

Gavin hums in consideration. "He sounds like a real piece of work, alright. You didn't get the information?"

"I couldn't shoot her!" He's gone from yellow to red.

"No, I mean why'd you let him play you like that? Have you ever watched interviews with that guy? You don't go walking into fuckin' Machiavelli's place without a warrant and maybe some dirt on him. Fuck, you could think circles around any human on the planet, and you let him mindfuck you? And Hank, you're the goddamn police lieutenant. You're supposed to be the one holding the cards, not the spoiled rich brat."

Hank scoffs. "You think you woulda done better?"

"Damn right, I do."

He raises his brows in challenge. "You willing to show us?"

"Hell yeah. I may not'a been able to fight off the literal killing machine, but a cerebral prick like that? Even injured, I'm his worst nightmare." He smirks. "In fact, I play this up, act vulnerable for a little bit? He won't know what hit him."

Connor is right back to rolling his coin along his knuckles. "Why did you sit down with us? You could have taken your meal and left. For someone who's so convinced I'm dangerous and Hank is foolish for trusting me, you're taking a lot of initiative."

He licks his dry lips slowly, thinking. "I don't want some fucking company engineering the robot apocalypse. I can't sit around waiting for someone else to step up and stop it. I'm not in any shape to do it alone, thanks to you."

"That isn't the whole story." Connor catches his gaze, piercing. "You've been keeping things from us, haven't you, Gavin?"

Gavin refuses to be intimidated into looking away. "Like what?"

"There had to have been other people you could have called, besides Hank. It seems strange that you would pick him, when you showed so much animosity towards him before. It makes even less sense that you'd come here after you found out I was here as well."

"Getting protective of your human, Connor?"

He doesn't hesitate at all. "Yes. I don't trust you, either, and the things you've told us don't help. You admitted to being under CyberLife's influence, as well. The fact that you're asking about the exit program concerns me. How do I know you're not here to gather information on how to disable it so that I can't escape the Zen Garden a second time?"

"You don't, but why would I try to fuck with you again? That didn't go so great for me last time."

"That's what I don't understand. If I'd used just a fraction more of my strength you would be dead, and yet here you are, offering to help us. It doesn't make sense."

"Humans don't make sense. Sometimes we do shit that isn't logical." He flicks his eyes to Hank, and then back to Connor. "Why did you get all vulnerable with me last night? I coulda used that against you."

His posture stiffens, just barely. "I was...emotionally compromised."

"So was I." Gavin stands. He's still a little wobbly. "I'm going home. I need a fucking shower and a good night's sleep in my own bed. I'll call you in the morning, and then check in at the precinct. We can figure out what we're doing after that."

Hank is sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, features pinched. "You shouldn't be unsupervised."

"I'll take my chances. If I don't call by 9, send an ambulance."

"Just go back to the hospital, Reed."

Gavin steadies himself on the back of his chair and points. "You, of all people, don't get to tell me how to take care of myself. I've had to watch you self-destruct for four years. It's time you be the one worrying."

Hank's eyes are wide, his jaw going slack in his stunned silence.

Gavin's said too much. He turns and walks away. He pulls out his vape and takes a long, hard drag, and then he goes home to think about his bad decisions.


End file.
